Talks
Istanbul, Oct. 4, 2019 (dpa/NAN) Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, described a meeting with top German and European Union officials as “productive” and “frank” as the bloc attempts to soothe recent tensions over a sharp increase in migrant arrivals, mainly Syrians, from Turkey to Greece.
“We saw that they are intent on healthier cooperation with Turkey on this migration issue,’’ Cavusoglu said of his meeting with German Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, and EU Migration Commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos in the Turkish capital on Friday.
Under a 2016 deal, the EU pledged up to 6 billion euros ($6.58 billion) to support refugees in Turkey.
Of this, 2.57 billion euros had been disbursed by the end of September.
With the deal, Ankara agreed to prevent migrants from attempting to reach the bloc.
Greece last month warned about the growing pace of migrant arrivals from Turkey to Greece, citing overcrowded Greek Islands.
Many migrants attempt to use a route from Turkey’s Aegean shores to the islands as a gateway into Europe.
Cavusoglu charged there was only a “small increase” in migrant arrivals in Greece, criticism of Turkey on this issue as “baseless”.
Turkey says it hosts the world’s largest refugee population at more than four million, of whom 3.6 million are from war-torn Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously argued that the EU is not sending enough support to Turkey and threatened to “open the gates” for migrants to leave for Europe.
On Thursday, Seehofer and Avramopoulos expressed support for Turkey in tackling its migration burden at a meeting with Turkish Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu.
Turkey also seeks EU support regarding the creation of a so-called safe zone in north-eastern Syria, Cavusoglu said, adding that he briefed the visiting delegate on details of the plan and what is needed.
Erdogan recently said as many as two million Syrian refugees would be relocated to a planned 30-kilometre-deep zone that stretches from the east of Euphrates River to the border with Iraq.
Seehofer is expected to leave for Greece later on Friday.
He said on Thursday that he would address Ankara’s concerns in Brussels in his talks with the incoming head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. (dpa/NAN)
AIB
=====
Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde